AutoAid Car Breakdown Discussion

Beaglebreath

En route for holiday in Cornwall discovered the floor pan was sagging and hitting the road. Auto Aid said they couldn't help as my MOT had expired the previous day ( i had mistakenly put the reminder on my phone for the following month). I had to try and fix the problem myself. I got a call back later from the insurers behind Auto Aid drawing my attention to their T&Cs which specify the car must be MOTd and insured before they will come out. However they will still help if you can prove you have booked an appointment for an MOT and need assistance to get the car to the appointment. Seemed very reasonable and i have found Auto Aid perfectly OK to deal with in the past.

timeflies_3

The business about autorenewals is one thing - but certainly not the worst about Autoaid. I cannot understand how Autoaid Breakdown cover can even appear on MoneySavingExpert. When you buy this breakdown cover, as we did, you are buying an insurance policy. Autoaid appear to be an insurance broker - selling the policy. The recovery is dealt with by one company and it is Equity Red Star (ERS) that decide if you ever receive any money. We broke down on holiday and our car was recovered - although it took AutoAid 24 hours to sort out the recovery (from our first call). Then a few further days before our car was recovered to our preferred garage. The next challenge is claiming back any costs - a hire car in our case - allowed under the policy. There is no claim form - you make a paper claim and provide receipts. AutoAid have never acknowledged our claim and it is impossible to speak to anyone about the claim. We have been provided with telephone numbers for ERS but none are currently accepting incoming calls. A lady presumably in Swansea does answer but is unable to help. She indicated most staff remain on furlough - at a time when many in the population have been back at work, at least remotely, for some time now. I have been unable to get ERS to provide a copy of their complaints process and our claim is going nowhere. Do check the reviews on Autoaid, but do also check the reviews on ERS - which is the part that deal with any claims. If reviews of AutoAid are mixed, the reviews of Equity Red Star (ERS) are an even less positive read.

Hasbeen

timeflies_3 said:

The business about autorenewals is one thing - but certainly not the worst about Autoaid. I cannot understand how Autoaid Breakdown cover can even appear on MoneySavingExpert. When you buy this breakdown cover, as we did, you are buying an insurance policy. Autoaid appear to be an insurance broker - selling the policy. The recovery is dealt with by one company and it is Equity Red Star (ERS) that decide if you ever receive any money. We broke down on holiday and our car was recovered - although it took AutoAid 24 hours to sort out the recovery (from our first call). Then a few further days before our car was recovered to our preferred garage. The next challenge is claiming back any costs - a hire car in our case - allowed under the policy. There is no claim form - you make a paper claim and provide receipts. AutoAid have never acknowledged our claim and it is impossible to speak to anyone about the claim. We have been provided with telephone numbers for ERS but none are currently accepting incoming calls. A lady presumably in Swansea does answer but is unable to help. She indicated most staff remain on furlough - at a time when many in the population have been back at work, at least remotely, for some time now. I have been unable to get ERS to provide a copy of their complaints process and our claim is going nowhere. Do check the reviews on Autoaid, but do also check the reviews on ERS - which is the part that deal with any claims. If reviews of AutoAid are mixed, the reviews of Equity Red Star (ERS) are an even less positive read.

I have Autoaid breakdown cover. I do not have any hired car cover? Autoaid is owned by RCIB. HQ is in Romford Essex.
ERS appears to be a separate insurance company? HQ in London.

Are you posting about breakdown or car insurance?

lisyloo

llyrl75 said:

STAY AWAY!  I'm not sure MSE can recommend these guys, I signed up based on the MSE info, but then on further research found some very poor feedback on these guys.  I phoned up to cancel less than 24 hours later (14 day cooling of period) & they still charged me a £15 admin cancelation fee!  Unapologetic & forthright that it was in the "small print".  Thats 21% of of the product fee!!!   I still cancelled through principle.  STAY AWAY!

You always have to pay for changing your mind and £15 is minimal for the admin you’ve caused. They’d be within their rights to charge you a lot more. Do your research up front in future.

timeflies_3

Hasbeen said:

timeflies_3 said:

The business about autorenewals is one thing - but certainly not the worst about Autoaid. I cannot understand how Autoaid Breakdown cover .... 

I have Autoaid breakdown cover. I do not have any hired car cover? Autoaid is owned by RCIB. HQ is in Romford Essex.
ERS appears to be a separate insurance company? HQ in London.

Are you posting about breakdown or car insurance?

No, not 'hire car' cover specifically and certainly not car insurance.
Our policy is  AutoAid Breakdown Recovery. The policy confirmation states this is arranged and administered by Right Choice Insurance Brokers Limited - also trading under the names: Pink Pound Insurance, AutoAid Breakdown, Autonational Rescue,  EuroRescue , Bike Devil and Naked Pet. Right Choice are based Romford, Essex. ERS appear to underwrite the policy (their logo appears on the policy) and consider any claims for additional expenses incurred. This wording comes from their documents.

The policy wording states "If the vehicle breaks down while it is more than 25 miles from your home [we were] and it cannot be repaired at the roadside or at a garage during the same day [it was not] and is not recovered to your home or destination [it was, but not on the day and only several days later], we will refund the cost of onward travel arrangements [our journey home] ".
It does not say what transport must be used or that this must be approved in advance. As it happens they said we should hire a car for our return journey because they could not guarantee cabin space for 4 in the recovery vehicle. Plus, in our view, we had a dog and it would have been unkind/cruel/potentially illegal to lock the dog in the car for over a 3 hour journey with very limited access to water.

Hasbeen

timeflies_3 said:

Hasbeen said:

timeflies_3 said:

The business about autorenewals is one thing - but certainly not the worst about Autoaid. I cannot understand how Autoaid Breakdown cover .... 

I have Autoaid breakdown cover. I do not have any hired car cover? Autoaid is owned by RCIB. HQ is in Romford Essex.
ERS appears to be a separate insurance company? HQ in London.

Are you posting about breakdown or car insurance?

No, not 'hire car' cover specifically and certainly not car insurance.
Our policy is  AutoAid Breakdown Recovery. The policy confirmation states this is arranged and administered by Right Choice Insurance Brokers Limited - also trading under the names: Pink Pound Insurance, AutoAid Breakdown, Autonational Rescue,  EuroRescue , Bike Devil and Naked Pet. Right Choice are based Romford, Essex. ERS appear to underwrite the policy (their logo appears on the policy) and consider any claims for additional expenses incurred. This wording comes from their documents.

The policy wording states "If the vehicle breaks down while it is more than 25 miles from your home [we were] and it cannot be repaired at the roadside or at a garage during the same day [it was not] and is not recovered to your home or destination [it was, but not on the day and only several days later], we will refund the cost of onward travel arrangements [our journey home] ".
It does not say what transport must be used or that this must be approved in advance. As it happens they said we should hire a car for our return journey because they could not guarantee cabin space for 4 in the recovery vehicle. Plus, in our view, we had a dog and it would have been unkind/cruel/potentially illegal to lock the dog in the car for over a 3 hour journey with very limited access to water.

Ok Thank you. Did not know that. Misunderstood when you said "The next challenge is claiming back any costs - a hire car in our case - allowed under the policy. "

But if they informed you to hire a car then would assume they are liable for reasonable cost's.

lisyloo

Hasbeen said:

timeflies_3 said:

Hasbeen said:

timeflies_3 said:

The business about autorenewals is one thing - but certainly not the worst about Autoaid. I cannot understand how Autoaid Breakdown cover .... 

I have Autoaid breakdown cover. I do not have any hired car cover? Autoaid is owned by RCIB. HQ is in Romford Essex.
ERS appears to be a separate insurance company? HQ in London.

Are you posting about breakdown or car insurance?

No, not 'hire car' cover specifically and certainly not car insurance.
Our policy is  AutoAid Breakdown Recovery. The policy confirmation states this is arranged and administered by Right Choice Insurance Brokers Limited - also trading under the names: Pink Pound Insurance, AutoAid Breakdown, Autonational Rescue,  EuroRescue , Bike Devil and Naked Pet. Right Choice are based Romford, Essex. ERS appear to underwrite the policy (their logo appears on the policy) and consider any claims for additional expenses incurred. This wording comes from their documents.

The policy wording states "If the vehicle breaks down while it is more than 25 miles from your home [we were] and it cannot be repaired at the roadside or at a garage during the same day [it was not] and is not recovered to your home or destination [it was, but not on the day and only several days later], we will refund the cost of onward travel arrangements [our journey home] ".
It does not say what transport must be used or that this must be approved in advance. As it happens they said we should hire a car for our return journey because they could not guarantee cabin space for 4 in the recovery vehicle. Plus, in our view, we had a dog and it would have been unkind/cruel/potentially illegal to lock the dog in the car for over a 3 hour journey with very limited access to water.

Ok Thank you. Did not know that. Misunderstood when you said "The next challenge is claiming back any costs - a hire car in our case - allowed under the policy. "

But if they informed you to hire a car then would assume they are liable for reasonable cost's.

Yes they are liable, but it looks like the issue is claiming it back.

Things are taking longer at lots of places because of the pandemic.

Some things can be done remotely. Opening envelopes cannot be done remotely and sometimes has to wait for someone to come in, maybe one day a week.

It's not really possible to judge whether their service is acceptable or not without timescales, but of course there is a pandemic on. The example of someone coming in once a week to scan papaer is just one example.

Businesses are taking different attitude towards the pandemic and I wouldn't criticise those keeping vulberable staff safe.

There isn't any evidence here that they aren't going to pay simply that it's not in desireable timescales.

If you want acknowldegement it's been delivered then I would use recorded delivery for that.

timeflies_3

Thanks Lissyloo,
Yes, very fair points. The claim was hand-delivered to the office in the policy document and handed to a member of staff - the policy states all paperwork to support a claim must be received within 14 days. They don't provide an email address. A simple acknowledgement would provide some assurance. I accept timescales will be extended and outside their normal service standards as a result of the current situation - but they don't state what these are under normal business circumstances. I agree that responsible business/enterprise should take all reasonable steps to keep vulnerable staff safe - but there are relatively simple ways for a business to communicate with customers, and this is lacking. The comment I found interesting was that staff were on furlough, not that they were working remotely. Some business have adapted better than others and 'yes' perhaps more patience is required on my part.

lisyloo

There’s a free service here in association with MSE that might be worth a try
https://www.resolver.co.uk/companies/autoaid-complaints/contact-details

DK1083

I took out Auto Aid cover last year and it is almost renewal time. Since taking out the cover we now have a caravan. Auto Aid assure me the policy includes the caravan but only while it’s connected to the car; i.e: whilst towing. Does anyone have any experience of Auto Aid where caravans are concerned? There’s a big difference between £59 and £189 as quoted by another company!